Wednesday, January 7, 2009

After highlighting on Tuesday the different degrees of devotion among fans in the Carolinas, today we see how far and wide the Panthers' influence is in other states and countries.

There's no question the biggest concentration of the faithful is in the Piedmont, but as the Panthers prepare for Saturday's showdown against the Cardinals, we've heard from many others who live and work nowhere near Bank of America Stadium.

Maybe it's no surprise to find followers down the road in Atlanta, where economic development consultant Matthew Tarleton and technical instructor Scott Gross profess their devotion despite living in Falconland. Heck, Gross even works in Flowery Branch, home of the Falcons headquarters.

Beyond the Southeast, though, Panthers fans are in every time zone. There's the school crowd, from high school student Barron Christopher in Kokomo, Ind., to Alex Baxter, a law student at the University of California Berkeley who moved from Charlotte to the Golden State after the 1996 season but is planning to be at Saturday's game.

Other West Coast Panther fans include Raul Carrillo in the Los Angeles area, Andy Sims in San Francisco and Aaron Jacobson in Fresno, who explains his devotion this way:

"My dad tried to raise me a Bears fan, but I rebelled and chose the Raiders because he hated them so much. But I never really watched football. I didn’t know many rules or anything.Then during the '94 season I started really paying attention and heard about some new expansion teams that were coming out. So I figured hey, I’m starting to really get into this, let’s start fresh. I picked the Panthers over the Jaguars because of the coaching staff and some of the players they were picking up. Since then I’ve been a die-hard fan.

I have a fantasy vacation where one day, I’ll travel to the East Coast see a game, the stadium, the city and then travel to Talladega to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. race my favorite track. It’ll be a costly trip, but one I can’t wait to take."

In Albuquerque, N.M., Jason Gallegos said that when he was a kid his parents gave him a poster with every NFL team helment on it. "When I first laid eyes on the Panthers helmet," he said, "I was an instant fan."

Then there's the military. This story has more, and we've also heard from Trace McBride of the U.S. Air Force in Crestview, Fla. and Brian Fjeld, an Air Force meteorologist in Mountain Home, Idaho. While they may have a hard time seeing Panthers games, it's nothing compared to what Jerry Senatore went through while in Iraq with the U.S. government in 2005 and 2007.

"I remember staying up late to catch many football games. Baghdad was eight hours ahead, so the 1 p.m. games were easy. The 4 p.m. games were challenging. I ended up catching reruns of the Monday night games."

The recent story on fans in the military also reminded Senatore of this impressive photo.

So clearly Panthers Nation extends across the country. Can anyone out there top the West Coast or soldiers stationed overseas? Where else are Panthers fans lurking and waiting for Saturday's big game?

46 comments:

Coming from Davenport, FL about an hour or so from the Buc's home. Been following the Cardiac Cats since (when I lived in Charlotte) 1996. Still haven't given up on them and still make the mistake of saying "they have to come to us" when talking about Carolina home games.

Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, I was a Bears fan as a kid. I moved to NC in 1986 and remained a Bears fan but felt a bit disconnected. When the Panthers franchise was announced I could not wait to put on the black and blue! My best friend and I attended the Panthers first victory @ Death Valley vs. the Jets and I'm still a Panthers fan out here in Seahawk Country - I live about 60 miles north of Seattle. Tust me, there has never been any temptation to pull for the Seahawks, especially after the NFC Championship game in Seattle. I was geeting ribbed by my co-workers/friends then, but who's laughing now??

I live in San Diego CA and I moved here a couple of years ago from Charlotte. I wear my Panther attire anywhere I can and I subscribed to he NFL network this year so as not to miss any games. Everyone here are Charger fans and so I am hoping for a Panther Charger Super Bowl with the final score being Panthers 30 San Diego 27 after Kasey kicks the winning field goal with 3 seconds left.

Moved to Louisville, KY from Gastonia for college in 2001 and have lived here ever since, but have remained a Panther die-hard to this day. NFL Field Pass keeps me connected with radio broadcasts (I mourned when they let Rosinski go), I travel to road games whenever they come near (Cincinnati 2006, Tennessee 2007), and I try to get to games in Charlotte while visiting family (TB, Detroit, and Dallas playoff in 2003, GB in 2004, NO in 2007). This weekend, I'll be making the 7 1/2 hour drive to BOA for Saturday night's game. Go Panthers!

Huge Panthers fan (Native Charlottean & original PSL Holder) living in Chicago since 2000. Traveled to San Diego, Chicago & Green Bay games this season. Am a regular at neighborhood pub for every other regular season game. Will pull for the Panthers from the good couch this weekend (& hopefully on 1/18). Have even purchased airline tix to Tampa so as I caught the first game in person, I plan to be at the last game in person. Let the Big Cat Hunt.

Hey, It's pretty cool that there are so many Panther fans across the nation and around the world especially after hearing that no one knew which state the Panthers came from the first time they played (and won) the NFC Championship. At that time a lot of people didn't know if they were from North or South Carolina...or that's what the news reported at least.

Panther fan here in Phoenix. I have followed this team devotedly since the first year. I grew up in Rock Hill and went to the practices their first year in the NFL at Winthrop U. It's gotten a little better, but it's still hard to get Panther info out here on the West Coast. Can't wait for Sat. when we will shut up all these Cardinal fans here that are getting too cocky.

Big fan that followed my job to Nashville,TN in 2004, still miss Charlotte... Here, it's all Titan talk, and on top of that my employer bought the naming rights to the Titans stadium. ( got great seats for the whipping the Titans gave us last year ) I survive on satelite TV and radio, and will be loud and proud on Saturday night.

I grew up in Charlotte and am a hard-core Panthers fan...but then I got transplanted to Georgia for college and had to deal with Falcons fans galore (yuck), and now recently moved to Louisiana. The black & blue will be out in full force at my place Saturday though!

woo hoo i got mentioned from california. i cant wait to fly in tomorrow and party all the way through the weekend and celebrate a panthers victory. carolina is such a beautiful place, where are the parties going to be at up until saturday

I was up in Endwell, NY visiting family earlier this year and the only place I could find the game was at a great little sports dive called Bobby's Place. As I walked in figuring to be the only Panther fan in the entire place, the first thing I see is a familiar #17 jersey. I ended up sitting with this kid and watching the entire game. He was as true of a Panthers fan as I have ever meet, and also the only one for 200 miles.

Panthers fan living in Phoenix but born and raised in Charlotte, so I've been a Panthers fan since the beginning. I hope the Panthers make us proud, I really don't want to hear Cards fans talk about how they're 9-7 team is so great.

Panther fan here - grew up in Charlotte and now living in DC. A bunch of us transplanted North and South Carolinians will be gathering in my apartment to cheer on OUR PANTHERS on Saturday night. It's a huge game and we're looking for a big win! Outside of that, I've watched every Panthers game this year at a local bar. Expensive, but worth every penny.

best carolina moment of the year was when i was there week 1 2nd row and the chargers got their last score and everyone was yelling at us and the huge crowd of panthers fans that we choked. so when we got the last touchdown by rosario we showed them who choked and they all walked away with nothing to say, but what a great carolina win even without smitty

I'm a huge Panther Fan, I live in Queretaro, Mexico, I was born in Raleigh North Carolina, but because of my father work reasons I have been living down hear since I was 5 years old. I have my dream cometrue when a got to see with my wife a Panthers game in 2004 against the Jets and I also got to take pictures with Jake and Steve.

I've been a fan since day one, and I got all my friends and relatives down here to root for the PANTHERS!!! GO PANTHERS KEEP POUNDING TO THE SUPER BOWL

I currently live in Waconia, MN (southwest of Minneapolis) and am a diehard Panthers fan. I tell you what, its tough being a fan of anything other than the Vikings up here. The Metrodome is the loudest place I have ever been for a football game. I commend Jake and the boys for coming in and playing their hearts out through all the noise. I am from Fargo, ND and have been a fan since 1995. I have been through the best of times(Super Bowl)and the worst(1-15)and still a TRUE fan! Thats more than I can say for these terrible fair weather Viking fans, they are a joke. Saturday night is not going to come soon enough. Lets go out and leave it all on the field boys!!! Make us proud! Play hard, play smart, do your part! GO PANTHERS!!!!

Like many Panther fans here in Cajun Country I grew up having the Saints as my number one team and that was my only favorite team, until Jake went to the Panthers in 2003. As a Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajun I have always followed Jake’s career, hoping he would make it in the NFL. So the Saints and the Panthers are now my two favorite teams except I have trouble sometimes figuring out which team is 1 and which is 1A especially when they play each other.

For the last regular season game, I could not believe I was actually sitting in the Dome pulling for the Panthers over the Saints. If anyone would have told me that I would be doing this when I was a kid, I would have said they were crazy. But because I felt the Panthers had to have the #2 seed in order to have a legitimate shot at making it to the Super Bowl, I went with the Panthers. Besides, other than Drew Brees trying to get the single season passing record, this game was meaningless for the Saints. I still wish Brees could have gotten that record though.

I just hope the Saints and the Panthers never meet in the playoffs. I don’t know what I’ll do then. One good thing about having two favorite teams, it’s a whole lot better than having one favorite team. Especially when that one team has been the Saints.

The Panther Nation extends across the Atlantic, Over the Caribbean to San Juan PR! And as for my wife, my 2 year old daughter, and myself we will bleed carolina blue! Been here in San Juan for 9 years out of Fayetteville, NC and as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord and support them Cardiac Cats!!!

Go Panthers!!!! From my wife & i in Fort Worth,Texas.No,we do not like the cowpatties in little d.We have been Panther fans for many years and always will be!!!! Also happy Birthdy to Jake on Saturday.It is also my wife's birthday.

Yes Hugh, glad to see I'm not the only lad from the UK here! I work in London and live near Brighton in England.

Came over for the Falcons game at BofA, great day. A Charlottean friend I met on holiday early 07 got me into them, now dedicated. Lets hope they do the job this Saturday (Sunday morning for us) and hopefully beyond...

About this blog

Jefferson George writes about sports business for The Charlotte Observer. His first job out of college was on the sports desk of The Phoenix Gazette and The Arizona Republic, where he helped cover Arizona Cardinals training camp. That's when Buddy Ryan was the coach and Dave Krieg was the quarterback. Times clearly have changed. E-mail Jefferson at jgeorge@charlotteobserver.com.Peter St. Onge, an enterprise writer at the Charlotte Observer, is a former sports columnist in Alabama and Connecticut, where he also covered the NFL. Have a question? Email Peter at pstonge@charlotteobserver.com